How to prune valais fescue

Early spring. Comb through the clump with gloved fingers or a fine rake to remove dead blades. Trim lightly with scissors if tips are tatty. Avoid cutting hard to the crown — leave at least 2 inches of growth to protect the base.

Annually (light tidy only). Valais fescue is a compact, fine-textured alpine grass that needs very little pruning. Its tight low mounds rarely accumulate significant dead material. In early spring, comb out any winter-brown blades and trim lightly to refresh the shape. Over-pruning does more harm than good — this is a minimal-maintenance grass.

Comb through the clump with gloved fingers or a fine rake to remove dead blades. Trim lightly with scissors if tips are tatty. Avoid cutting hard to the crown — leave at least 2 inches of growth to protect the base.